Who was Xuanyi Yu? What we know about Google employee found dead at California home

Xuanyi Yu, a Google software engineer, was found beaten to death last week in an apparent domestic violence incident. The victim's husband Liren Chen, 27, who is also a Google software engineer, was arrested on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. At the time of his arrest, authorities said Chen was found "spattered in blood," after he allegedly beat his wife to death at their California home.

Detailing the incident in a press release, the Santa Clara DA office said on Tuesday morning, officers responded to a home in Valley Way for a well-being check.

Upon arrival at the scene, they met with a concerned acquaintance of Liren Chen and his wife, Xuanyi Yu. The acquaintance called 911 over concerns for the couple’s safety after Chen wasn't answering his phone or the door.

The acquaintance told officers he saw Chen inside the home, sitting “motionless on his knees, had his hands in the air and was staring blankly.” Police then entered the home and took Chen into custody after they found blood on his clothing, legs, arms, and hands and scratches on his arm.

Authorities revealed the suspect’s right hand was extremely swollen and purple.

The press release revealed officers then located the victim deceased on the floor with severe blunt force injuries to her head in the bedroom directly behind where Chen had been standing.

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Xuanyi Yu and Liren Chen were both software engineers at Google

According to their LinkedIn pages, Liren Chen and his wife Xuanyi Yu studied in China at Tsinghua University and the University of California San Diego. They both worked as software engineers at Google. The victim, Xuanyi Yu, who graduated with a master’s degree in computer science from UC San Diego, worked for Amazon before she began working as a software engineer at Google in 2021.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the search engine company's spokesperson Bailey Tomson condoled the tragic incident and extended his condolence to the victim's family.

"We are shocked and deeply saddened by what has happened to Xuanyi. Our thoughts are with her family at this time, and we will work to provide support to them and to co-workers who are processing this tragic news."

In a press release, the Santa Clara DA office said Google software engineer Liren Chen has been charged with murder. District Attorney Jeff Rosen, who noted domestic violence cases have significantly increased in the country, added:

“Domestic violence deaths have been falling in our county but that does not measure the depth and destructiveness of the violence. Anyone who feels that they or someone else is being abused by their partners, please reach out to your local law enforcement agency. You are not alone. We can help.”

Per his LinkedIn profile, Chen, who also has a master’s degree in computer science from UC San Diego, worked for YouTube shorts recommendations as a Google software engineer.